Vapor electric apparatus.



W. F. S11E13).

VAPOR ELECTRIC APPARATUS.

APPLIUATION FILED SEPT.11, 190s.

996,371, Patented June 27, 1911.

kg ID a 3: 8 55 mg I5 \Ninesss; Inventor":

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when it is desired to charge ignition bat-' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. WILLIAM F. SNEldD, Of SCHENECTLTJZKET; QTETITASSIGNOR T0 ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF YQRK.

VAPOR ELECTRIC APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters I'atent. Patented June 27, 1911. Application filed September 11, 1908. Serial No. 452,631.

To all whom it may concern. after inserted when the apparatus is in opl 3e it known that I, WILLIAM F. Srmnn, a eration. citizen of the United States, residing at t The features of novelty which characterize Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State 5 my invention I have pointed out with parof New York, have invented certain new l ticularity in the appended claims.

and useful Improvements in Vapor Electric The invention itself will be better under- Apparatus, of which the following is a stood by reference to the following descripspecification. tion taken in connection with the accom- My present,- invention relates t va or panying drawings which represent one emelectric devices, such as mercury arc recti bodiment of my invention. tiers, lamps, or the like, and comprises cer- In the drawin s, a rectifier tube of usual tain means whereby such devices may be 1 form is indicate at 1 and is provided with rendered stable in operation when carrying j main anodes 2 and 3, a starting anode 4; relatively small currents and whereby the 2 and the negative electrode or. cathode 5. devices may be readily and conveniently l 'lherectifier tube being of usual construcstarted into operation. tion requires no further description. It is Vapor electric devi es, ch f r x l connected in circuit as follows: The source as mercury arc rectifiers, are not, as ordiof current supply is indicated by the alter-- naril designed, adapted to be operated with nating current mains 6 and 7. Across these stabi ity at low current values. In many mums, cases it is desirable that a'rectifier should be tance coils S and -9. The anodes 2 and 3 of bh f h ti as f example the rectifier may be connected so as to receive any desired portion of the voltage impressed on the windings of the inductance coils. As here indicated, the connections tare made to points 10 and 11, such that the teries or for other purposes where relatively small currents are desired. Rectifiers of the character mentioned are ordinarily provided with a reactancc or reactanoes for causing current Waves of opposite polarity to overlap and thereby maintain the rectifiers in continuous operation. By increasing the amount of such reactance the rectifier becomes capable of operation at lower current values. However, such van increase in the reactancc has the effect of rendering the apparatus relatively .diiiicult to start. I

In the starting of vapor electric apparatus it is necessary that a somewhat hi ghcr voltage or difference of potential be applied to the terminals of the arcthan is necessary after the arc has started. In other words the shape of the volt afnpere curve is such that at values of current lowerthan the normal currentit shows a" higher voltage than at normal cu rrent: Hence where an abnormal amount of reactance is used for securing staimpress on the rectifier tube a voltage somewhat-less than that of the mains 6 and 7. .The use of the inductance coils in this instance to step down the voltage is shown merely by way of illustration, and it. will be evident that any other suitable connections such as to -ive lower or higher voltsvhich the rectifier is intended to supply is represented in the drawing as consisting, in this instance. of a storage battery 12. This battery is arranged so that one terminal is connected to the junction 13 between the coils 8 and 9, while the other terminal may be connected through a switch 14 to the negative electrode of the rectifier. This is the usual connection.

. bility ofioperation of aTectifier at l it has been common to employ a resistance rents, the starting of the rectifier is difficult, winch ssubstituted for the battery at startb bl d t th b ti f lt ing and, as soon as the rectifier 1s in operab the reactance hi h h th ff t, f d tion and the battery put in circult, is then disconnected. The use of the resistance atfords a path free from counter electromotiv'e force and permits ready starting of the rectifier.

According to my present invention, so

creasing the applied voltage at the terminals of the arc.- I have overcome this difliculty by so arranging the apparatus that the re actance is in considerable measure cut out during the operation of starting and therein series, are connected two induc-.

coils serve in a measure as compensators and For the purpose of starting the rectifier 'agc may be made as desired. The load 12 are connected respectively to contacts 17' and 18 cooperating with the switch arm 19. During the operation of starting, the resistance 15 furnishes a path for battery current by Way of switches 14: and 19, resistance 15, and back through one coil of reactance 9. So far as current from the rectifier is concerned, the resistance 15 may be regarded as in shunt to the path made up by battery 12 and one half of reactance coil 9, thereby furnishing a short path for the rectified current returning to the alterni-iting current main 7. The impedance otlered to this rc'c- .titied current by the right hand coil of reactance 9 is sullicicntly small to render the starting of the rectifier easy, and as soon as the rectifier is started, the switch 19 can be opened from the contact 17, thereby cutting out the starting resistance and forcing all the rectified current to take the path tl'irough the battery load 12.

\Vhile I have illustrated in the drawing one modification suitable for carrying out my invention, it is evident that 'arious modifications thereof may be made, for which reason I do not wish to limit myself to the exact details therein shown.

What Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Let'ers Patent of the United States, is:

1. The con'ibination with an alternating current vapor electric device, of a reactance for operation therewith, a load circuit containing a translating device, a starting cir- 'euit, means for temporarily connecting, said ductance coil.

4. The combination of a, vapor electric rectifier, alternating current mains, inductance coils connected across said mains, a load circuit having, one'terminal connected to the junction between said inductance coils, and a starting circuit having one ton minal connected at an intermediate point of the winding of. one of said inductance coils.

The combination of a vapor electric device, a load circuit, an inductance coil for keeping the device alive while running, the rcactance of said coil being so great as to interfere with the starting of said device, and means for decreasing the amount of inductance during starting while maintaining the impressed voltage unchanged.

The combination of a vapor electric device, alternating current mains, a direct current load circuit, a rcactance connected to said mains and in circuit with said load circuit, and means for decreasing the reactance while starting said vapor device without decreasing the alternating current potential impressed thereupon.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of September, 1908.

WILLIAllI F. SNEED.

Witnesses:

BENJAMIN B. HULL, MARGARET E. 5 00mm. 

